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Encyclopedia > Feta cheese
Feta
Production Area Greece
Milk Goat and sheep only.
Pasteurized See article
Texture variable
Fat content approx. 30% - 60%
Protein content approx. 25 - 30%
Dimensions/weight ??cm x ??cm thick/??-??kg
Aging time min. 3 months
Certification Protected Designation of Origin (in the EU)

Feta (Greek φέτα, feminine gender) is a classic curd cheese in brine whose tradition dates back to Greece thousands of years ago. It is made exclusively from goat's and sheep's milk. Download high resolution version (933x700, 115 KB) Feta cheese. ... Pasteurization is the process of heating food for the purpose of killing harmful organisms such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa, molds, and yeasts. ... Protected designation of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indication (PGI) and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) are classifications defined in European Union Law to protect regional foods. ... Curd is a dairy product obtained by curdling (coagulating) milk with rennet or an edible acidic substance such as lemon juice or vinegar and then draining off the liquid portion (called whey). ... Cheese is a solid food made from the curdled milk of various animals—most commonly cows but sometimes goats, sheep, reindeer, and water buffalo. ... Brine is water saturated or nearly saturated with salt. ... A goat is an animal in the genus Capra, which consists of nine species: the Ibex, the West Caucasian Tur, the East Caucasian Tur, the Markhor, and the Wild Goat. ... Binomial name Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758 A sheep is any of several woolly ruminant quadrupeds, but most commonly the Domestic Sheep (Ovis aries), which probably descends from the wild moufflon of south-central and south-west Asia. ... A glass of milk Milk most often means the nutrient fluid produced by the mammary glands of female mammals. ...


It is salted and cured in a brine solution (which can be either water or whey) for 3 to several months. Feta dries out rapidly when removed from the brine. Feta cheese is white, usually formed into square cakes, and can range from soft to semi-hard, with a tangy, salty flavor that can range from mild to sharp. Its fat content can range from 30 to 60 percent; most is around 45 percent milk fat. Whey or milk plasma is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained; it is a by-product of cheese or casein making with several commercial uses. ... A glass of cows milk Milk most often means the nutrient fluid produced by the mammary glands of female mammals. ...


Feta cheese is covered by a protected designation of origin. It is one of the ingredients of Greek salad. Protected designation of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indication (PGI) and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) are classifications defined in European Union Law to protect regional foods. ... Greek salad (Greek χωριάτικη (choriatiki), meaning villagers salad) is a common salad characterized by its ingredients of Mediterranean (and particularly Greek) origin. ...


History

What we nowadays call feta cheese was known to ancient Greeks, at least since Homer's era, as there were several references to it in the Odyssey. The myth has it that the Cyclops Polyphemus was the first cheese manufacturer. Carrying the milk that he collected from his sheep in animal-skin bags, he realised, to his great surprise, that days later the milk had become a solid, savory and preservable mass. Bust of Homer in the British Museum For other uses, see Homer (disambiguation). ... Odyssey - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...


The name Feta (slice) dates back to the 17th century, and it likely refers to the method of cutting the cheese in slices to put it in barrels.


See also


  Results from FactBites:
 
Feta cheese - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (254 words)
Feta cheese is white, usually formed into square cakes, and can range from soft to semi-hard, with a tangy, salty flavor that can range from mild to sharp.
Feta cheese is covered by a protected designation of origin.
What we nowadays call feta cheese was known to ancient Greeks, at least since Homer's era, as there were several references to it in the Odyssey.
TED Case Study (5182 words)
Feta cheese matures after a period of 2 months in the brime, and should be conserved in the fridge at 2º-5º celsius.
Feta is as Greek as pisco liquor is Peruvian and basmati rice is Indian.
Feta cheese according to the Greek government has to be produced from sheep's or a mixture of sheep and goat's milk, originating from animals that live and graze in predetermined areas, all of which are in Greece.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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